


Sanzo Claus (2009)

by JennyB



Series: Advent 2009 [16]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Advent Challenge 2009, Gen, Secret Santa, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-16
Updated: 2009-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-05 14:50:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1095270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gojyo stumbles across one of Sanzo's biggest secrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sanzo Claus (2009)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Advent Challenge 2009. Prompt: Secret Santa

Gojyo had been surprised when they'd rolled into town at the beginning of December, and Sanzo had informed them that they'd be there for the next six to eight weeks. Given Mr. Burr-up-his-Ass's ambitious timeline and constant bitching about delays, it had seemed strange that he'd want such an extended layover - at least, it had until Hakkai had shown him their route map. Their journey for the next while would be through high mountain passes that would be treacherous in the best of conditions; never mind adding in the great probability of whiteouts, blizzards, and avalanches due to the winter weather. Their only other alternative had been to backtrack and try to skirt the mountains, but even at that, a good portion would be on foot, and there'd be minimal access to towns to replenish supplies. When all was said and done, they'd be no further ahead, so Sanzo had decided to hunker down to wait, and they'd leave once the worst of the season had passed. Gojyo wasn't about to complain - he had access to young hotties, free-flowing liquor, and a warm bed and good food every day. Still, he believed that his current good fortune was more in part due to the priest's inherent laziness than their overall happiness and well-being.

The kappa had laughed sheepishly when Hakkai had explained the logic of it all to him. He knew that he wasn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he was ok with that. But even if he lacked the intelligence Hakkai possessed, he was a keen people watcher, and he tended to see patterns and notice unusual things long before the average person. And what had captured his interest of late had been Sanzo. For the first week of their stay, there had been nothing unusual going on, but it had only taken a couple of days for him to catch on to the fact that something was different. It wasn't blatant, and the blond was sneaky as hell in trying not to call attention to himself, but even so, the hanyou had started to notice that every evening after dinner, the priest would disappear for a couple of hours and then come back to the room as if nothing at all were out of the ordinary. It had taken him longer than usual to notice, in part because Sanzo often varied the times just enough to avoid establishing a pattern and also because Gojyo had initially just assumed that the monk was taking off to some bar to drink and get away from them for a while. But, when Gojyo started hitting the bars himself and no one in town could ever recall seeing Sanzo in the evenings, the kappa began to get suspicious. He'd voiced his concerns to Hakkai, and had even speculated that the priest had found somebody in town to hook up with, and that was why he was being so secretive about it.

Hakkai had laughed and told him he was being foolish. For one thing, the healer had never seen Sanzo take more than a passing interest in _anyone_ outside their party unless it was to shoot at them. For another, _if_ Sanzo were dating, _someone_ would have heard something by now. After all, the priest was something of a 'celebrity', and it was a small town. News like that would be just too tantalizing for the gossipmongers to pass up, and it would have spread like wildfire.

Gojyo had thought long and hard about that. Hakkai had made some very valid points, but there was just something about the whole clandestine situation that the redhead couldn't quite put his finger on. And, despite Hakkai's gentle reminders that Sanzo was a very private person and that snooping around could be hazardous to his health, the hanyou couldn't help himself in wanting to get to the bottom of it - curiosity killed the kappa, and all that.

That night, Gojyo decided he would make his move. All through dinner, he kept giving the blond furtive glances, as if he expected him to up and vanish before his eyes at any given moment. However, he did tone it down some and at least make an attempt at discretion when Sanzo noticed him and told him in no uncertain terms that he'd get a foot up his ass if he didn't stop staring.

Once the meal was finished, Sanzo wordlessly got up and headed outside. Gojyo waited all of about thirty seconds, and then he, too, got to his feet. He heard a soft sigh from Hakkai, and saw the healer give him a warning look before he merely shook his head resignedly and sipped his tea, but the kappa pooh-poohed him with a dismissive wave, slipped on his coat, and took off after the blond. Once out on the street, it took him a minute to figure out where Sanzo had gone. As he scanned the area, he was surprised to see the priest about a half a block up the street, and he was stepping it out. _I knew it! He's got a date!_ It took some doing for Gojyo to keep up to him, and he found himself thinking that the other could be a very fast son of a bitch when he wanted to be!

He frowned a little when he realized that the blond was heading into the seedier part of town, and he began to question his initial assumption. Sanzo was rather pretty, and despite his abrasive personality, if he wanted to, he could get anyone to go home with him on that fact alone. He didn't _need_ to troll the streets for an anonymous fuck - there were plenty of high-class girls right near where they were staying. The frown deepened when he saw the priest approach an abandoned ramshackle house, and he arched a brow as he watched him pick the lock and slip inside. Obviously, Hakkai had been tutoring him as he'd made that look way too easy. He crept over to peek in the window, only to jump back and press himself into the shadows at the side of the building when Sanzo came out moments later. Over his one shoulder, he was carrying a very large bag that was full of... _something_. He noted that the blond didn't bother to lock the building again, and was now purposefully walking further up the road. Though he seemed to have a destination in mind, his pace was a bit more cautious, almost as though he didn't want to make any noise and attract undue attention to himself.

Now Gojyo was beyond curious. _Just what the fuck are you up to, Baldy?_ he thought as he stalked the other, keeping to the shadows and maintaining his distance. He nearly stumbled over his own feet when the monk stopped abruptly, and it was only through sheer force of will that he didn't fall over and reveal himself. He wanted a cigarette very badly, but he didn't dare, lest he tip the other off. Finally, as the blond approached a row of four small, rundown houses, he slowed down, and Gojyo hid himself behind a tree. He watched Sanzo approach the first home, and when he reached the porch, he crouched down, pulled some things out of the bag, and then quietly moved on to the next. After the fourth house had been tended to, the priest's bag was empty, and Gojyo's jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw that Sanzo was actually _smiling_ a bit. It wasn't a toothy grin like Goku often wore, but it was sincere, and the expression softened his features and made him look almost kind. _What the fuck?_

He waited until Sanzo was headed back into town, and then he crept over to the first house to see what it was the other had left. He was surprised to see bundles of food, clothing, bedding, and a few toys. The second house had more of the same thing, as did the third and the fourth. He was just straightening out the small pile there when he felt the press of cold steel against the base of his skull and heard the sound of a revolver being cocked. "Shit," he muttered.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't splatter your stupid kappa brains all over the porch," a low voice growled, the silent fury evident in the tone.

"I was just curious about where you've been going every night for the past...two weeks?"

The pistol remained pressed against the hanyou's head. "Maybe it was none of your damned business," Sanzo said, his voice still menacing. "I don't follow you everywhere to see what shit you're up to. A bit of the same fucking courtesy is expected."

"Alright, alright, sorry!" Gojyo grumbled, and he shifted his weight a little so that he could turn to face the blond. "I can't help myself. I see something unusual and I've got to check it out."

"How very Yenta of you. So you're not just a roach, you're a nosey roach." Sanzo drew back the gun a little and put the safety on. "And just when I think you can't get any worse." He waited until the redhead got to his feet, and then he said, "Get the hell out of here. They're going to - _damn it_!" Grabbing Gojyo by the collar of his jacket, he yanked him off the porch and into some nearby shrubbery, tugging him down to hide behind it when he saw the front door open a little.

A young boy of about eight with dark eyes and hair stood there, and he looked around, a slight frown on his face. "No, Mama! There's no one here. It must have been the wind." Suddenly, he caught sight of the items on his doorstep, and his eyes widened. "Mama! Look at this! Mama! Ren! Look!!"

Another little boy, maybe about five, joined his brother, and a few moments later a young woman came to the door. "By the Merciful Goddess!" she said, and she dropped to her knees to pick up the various items. 

From where they sat, Sanzo and Gojyo could see the moisture on her cheeks as she very carefully bundled everything up and carried it into the house. Once the door had closed, the blond once again grabbed hold of the kappa, and he started to very quickly drag him away from the area. "Get moving, or I swear I _will_ shoot you."

Gojyo kept on walking, though he did half-turn to look back at the tiny homes. "Sanzo, what the hell was that all about?"

The blond pinked. "I told you, mind your own damned business, Kappa."

"Who were those people?"

" _Never mind_!"

Gojyo shrugged, and he lit up a cigarette. "Whatever. I'll just ask Hakkai. I'm sure he'd - _oof_!" The redhead momentarily saw stars when he was grabbed and pinned against a tree.

"Say a fucking word, and you'll die. As slowly and painfully as possible."

The hanyou frowned a little. "What's the big deal, Sanzo?" he asked, obviously confused. "Fuck!" He brought a hand up to rub at the back of his head. He could already feel the stirrings of a headache, and he knew he'd have a bump there later.

The blond growled lowly, and cursing under his breath, he muttered, "For fifteen fucking years, there's been no problem, and then you, the biggest pain in my ass ever, have to go and fuck it up by sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." He gave Gojyo one final shake, then released him to light up a cigarette of his own, and as he exhaled to the night sky, he said, "The winter solstice is a popular time for festivals and holidays across many cultures and religions. There's this sense of goodwill and peace, but for some people, it's one of the most difficult times to deal with, too." He shrugged a bit and turned away from the redhead to look up at the sky. "Koumyou used to do this... _thing_. He'd find families that were in dire need, and on the night of the winter solstice, he'd secretly go to their homes and leave gifts for the families. Things they'd need like food and blankets, and small toys for the children. It was an act of pure compassion, done anonymously with no expectation of repayment or recognition. When I was eight, he brought me along for the first time so that I could experience it for myself. After he died, I guess I just kept the tradition going." He gave another blasé shrug. "It's not like it's any big deal." He waited for the other to start laughing, and when Gojyo didn't, he turned to look at him, and arched a brow when he saw the contemplative expression on the other's face. "What?"

The kappa didn't look up at the blond. "So...who are those people then?"

"Just four families. I don't know them, or their names. All I know is that the four women are all widows - their husbands were killed in an accident at the mine where they worked about a month ago."

Gojyo looked up then, and met the violet eyes. "So you've been bringing them gifts for the past two weeks?"

"Tch, dumbass," Sanzo rolled his eyes and took another hit off his smoke. "No, I've been collecting things to give to them. I couldn't very well go and buy it all at once, could I?"

The redhead smiled softly. "Aww, so Sanzo-sama really does have a heart after all!"

"Shut up."

"It's really sweet!"

"I said shut up, Kappa! Damn it, didn't I say it was no big deal?" The violet flashed in irritation.

Gojyo shook his head. "Relax. I'm just busting your balls about it. Don't worry; I won't tell Hakkai or Goku. It's better if they think you're a complete dick anyway."

"Fuck you."

"Oh, would you?" He fluttered his eyelashes dramatically at that.

"Not in your wildest dreams, jackass."

The two started walking back to the inn, and after a moment, Gojyo smirked.

"What's the stupid look for?" the priest demanded.

"Sanzo-sama, you're my hero!" he drawled, only to cringe when two bullets whizzed by his head at very close range. "I take it back! I take it back! You're an asshole! Happy now?"

From beside him, Sanzo slipped his revolver back into his robes, and he smiled. "Ecstatic."

And he meant it.


End file.
